Turkey: Women's Expedition

12 Days | Discover the many marvels of Turkey on a women-only expedition

4.7 out of 5 based on 6 reviews submitted.
Women's Expeditions
From
CHF  2,169
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Turkey is often cited as the ultimate convergence of east and west – traditional spice bazaars and ornately adorned mosques thrown together with bustling cosmopolitan cities. On this women-only expedition, you’ll discover both the traditional and modern wonders of Turkey through the lives of the women who live here. Meet the women changing the face of the tourism industry through food, learn about the tradition of Turkish coffee fortune-telling and even visit a women’s-only Turkish hammam. You’ll meet many extraordinary local women and experience what life is like through their eyes.

Trip overview

Map of Turkey: Women's Expedition including Turkey
Start
Istanbul, Turkey
Finish
Istanbul, Turkey
Theme
Women's Expeditions
Destinations
Turkey
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 12
Trip code
ERSF
We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, find out more about our climate commitments and carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Discover both the traditional and modern wonders of Turkey through the lives of local women, including your female leader and driver – Turkey’s first female ambulance driver and now a proud founder of her own transport company.
  • Meet a local mother and daughter in their home in Istanbul to try their homemade borek. Sip on Turkish coffee and learn about the traditionally female art of fortune-telling, which was passed down between generations in Anatolian culture.
  • Enjoy a traditional home-cooked meal in the small town of Avanos with a local woman who’s working to provide for her family, after they had to move from Hatay (a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy) after the 2023 earthquakes.
  • Wander through the Soganli Valley on a gentle hiking trip, taking in the arid surrounds and towering vistas, then learn how to make a popular Cappadocian souvenir, a ‘kitre.’ Local women have been making these dolls for many years now to earn a living.
  • Stay in a female owned and operated hotel in Istanbul, and visit a social enterprise which supports the economic empowerment of low-income women through handicrafts.

Is this trip right for you?
  • It can get hot in Turkey from May to October and some of the more traditional hotels will not have air-conditioning. Evening temperatures are usually very pleasant and an open window with a breeze should do the trick.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2023 - 31 December 2024

Map of Turkey: Women's Expedition including Turkey

Inclusions

Meals

11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner

Transport

Private Vehicle, Plane

Accommodation

Guesthouse (5 nights), Hotel (6 nights)

Activities
  • Istanbul - Grand Bazaar
  • Istanbul - Historic Peninsula orientation walk
  • Istanbul - Visit to Nahil Dukkan by KEDV Foundation
  • Istanbul - Spice Market
  • Istanbul - 5 o'clock Tea & coffee in a local home
  • Istanbul - Topkapi Palace & Harem Guided Tour
  • Cappadocia - Goreme Open Air Museum
  • Goreme - Cooking Class with Nuray
  • Goreme - Orientation Walk
  • Cappadocia - Soft Hike in Soganli Valley
  • Cappadocia - Doll making with local woman
  • Konya - Felt Making Atelier & artist visit
  • Pamukkale - Hierapolis Ancient City & Travertines (Cotton Castle)
  • Selcuk - Sultankoy Carpet Cooperation
  • Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Selcuk - Hatice Lunch
  • Selcuk - Ephesus Ancient City
  • Sirince - Village visit and fruit wine tasting
  • Sirince - Manti Cooking Class
  • Adatepe - Ayvalik Copmadam (trashyteyze / Tara Hopkins)
  • Assos - Temple of Athena
  • Assos - Leader-led walking tour
  • Adatepe - Village Tour & Alter of Zeus
  • Istanbul - Turkish Hamam
Add on activities
  • Istanbul - Hagia Sophia - EUR25
  • Cappadocia - Kaymakli Underground City - EUR13
  • Cappadocia - Hot Air Balloon Regular Flight - EUR275
  • Cappadocia - Hot Air Balloon Deluxe Flight - EUR325
  • Goreme - Whirling dervish performance - EUR30
  • Konya - Visit to Mousaleum of Rumi - Free
  • Pamukkale - Cleopatra Ancient Pool - TRY340
  • Selcuk - Meryemana (Mary's House) - EUR15

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 1, 2 & 11 and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This trip includes one internal flight. Checked in luggage is restricted to 15kg checked-in and 8kg for hand luggage. It is possible to store a small piece of luggage at the starting and ending point guesthouse in Istanbul.
3. This trip starts with a Welcome meeting at 1pm on Day 1. Please ensure you arrive in time to join this important meeting.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 based on 6 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Erin · Traveled May 2024
I would highly recommend this trip. We saw beautiful and historical sites, and participated in activities that allowed us to encounter unique parts of Turkish culture. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciated the women-only aspect of the trip that led to us participating in activities that might not be included in a traditional co-ed tour.
Review submitted 02 Jun 2024

Katharina · Traveled May 2024
I loved this trip and can totally recommend it! It has a very good mix of sightseeing, local experiences and some very nice accommodation, i enjoyed it a lot and would return to turkey in a heartbeat. Our leader Ece was so fun, kind and accommodating and walked all the way to accommodate our requests and wishes, thank you! I think Intrepid does a pretty good job in selecting their group leaders - in the end, its the people, who put the icing on the cake.
Review submitted 02 Jun 2024

Anne · Traveled May 2024
This was a wonderful way to see a fascinating country. Thank you to our driver, guide, fellow travelers and all the great women I met for making this a one of a kind trip.
Review submitted 03 Jun 2024

Michelle · Traveled May 2024
I cannot recommend highly enough the Turkey Women's Trip. The itinerary enabled us to see the Mai highlights I was looking for forward to, and our guide, Ece, was absolutely amazing!
Review submitted 04 Jun 2024

Louisa · Traveled May 2024
This trip is filled with mythology and history and many opportunities to see both in nature! I was surprised by the range of things to see, Turkey has amazing things to offer. There are a lot of inclusions so this trip felt a bit "go go go" so many of us opted out of things in order to rest in the evenings. Overall there was a great mix of things for everyone to enjoy, hope they give future groups a few chill days in cute small towns sooner in the trip to help with fatigue in the future 💗 apart from that, you're in for a fantastic experience! (P.S. arrive 1 or 2 days early and just sleep)
Review submitted 11 Jun 2024
Turkey: Women's Expedition
From
CHF  2,169